Pieces
by Laylania
Summary: Alone. It was something she had come to grips with, and she welcomed the agony and the pain that came with it willingly. But then he showed up and wrecked everything she knew to pieces. Feldt x Neil Dylandy, Slight Setsuna x Marina
1. Chapter 1

**Authoress Notes:** Okay, this plot bunny happened to me in the weirdest way. Three friends of mine - you should know who you are if you're reading this, guys! - and I were talking about Gundam00, and we were talking about Feldt and Lockon. On the way back from Rascals, no less. Well, Lorrie and I were talking about how Feldt and Neil were adorable together and that Lyle could have Anew, and I said I felt bad for him and then said how he beat the crap out of Setsuna after Anew died. I said he went Mike Tyson on Setsuna, and Lorrie goes, 'He bit his ear off?' Lol. Anyway, I was thinking and wham! This bunny appeared and began running furious circles in my brain. And thus, this was born. Lorrie and Kyla also helped. Yaaay.

_Claim:_ I lay claim to this plot bunny and the weird way that it was spawned. Whoo.

**Disclaim:** With great sorrow, I disclose that I hold no ownership over Gundam00. Sad. Anyway, I don't own Feldt or Lockon, or he totally would have lived. Yeah.

**Soundtrack: **[None]

Chapter 00: _Fate _

Sniffling and cradling the orange metal ball to her chest, a small young girl with moderately short pink hair made her way outside to the small yard that blossomed to life with flowers that swayed gently in the warm summer breeze, painting a picture of graceful elegance.

However, it completely contrasted with the little girl's mood as she crouched onto the cobbled pathway, sniffling as she tried to rub the tears from her eyes as quickly as they fell, failing miserably as they traced cold, wet tracks down her face, dripping off her chin. She had been crying a lot lately, but nothing she thought about could aliviate the agony ripping through her chest like a blade, slicing through everything.

Her parents were dead. She had only been told this recently, and the brusque manner in which the man had told her was nothing short of cold and indifferent, even when tears fell down her face, unchecked and unwanted. She had a vague grasp on what her parents had done as their job.

But that was the furthest from her mind at the moment, her thoughts replaying the cold words in her mind. _'My parents are...dead. Dead. Not coming back. Dead.'_ Like a record, they replayed over and over until she felt sick to her stomach, intestines curling like someone were gripping them too tightly.

"Feldt! Feldt!" Chirped the orange mechanical ball before her, rolling side to side as small circular compartments flapped, small eyes blinking a pale red. "Cheer up! Cheer up!"

"I-I can't, Haro," she murmured, and she plucked the small sphere from the ground, holding it to her chest like a small animal, the tears rolling off the smooth metal like rain. "It's just you and me now, Haro."

"Me and Feldt! Me and Feldt!" Echoed Haro, and a watery smile pulled at Feldt's lips. Placing her companion down, she blinked as he rolled away, and she reached a hand towards him.

"Haro, where are you going?"

"Me and Feldt! Play! Play!" His chorus of repeated words were growing fainter and fainter as he faded from sight, and, given nothing else to do, she followed him with clumsy steps, still trying to erase the existance of tears from her eyes.

"Hi there, little guy." A new voice broke the still silence, and Feldt came to a stop, searching for the source. She knew Haro had rolled in this direction, and she needed to find him. He was her only friend at the moment, and she refused to lose him as well. "Where did you come from?"

"Haro! Haro!" Robotic and clipped, Haro said his name twice before falling silent again, and she raced forward, rounding a small corner. "Feldt! Feldt!"

"Haro, what are you-" Feldt cut herself off, finding her companion being held by a boy who looked older than her, and was definately taller than her. Green eyes narrowed, and she glared at the boy before her. "Who are you? And give Haro back!"

"...Oh. Does he belong to you?" The boy smiled in return to her hostile look, unfazed. "My name's Neil. Neil Dylandy. Who are you?"

"...Feldt. Feldt Grace." She introduced herself warily, aware of her parent's words to ignore strangers, even if they were children like her. This boy was...weird. Chocolate brown hair framed his smooth, alabaster skinned face in gentle curls, and pure blue eyes stared back at her, observing her curiously.

"Well. It's nice to meet you, Feldt." He smiled, his head tipping to the side as he extended his arms, Haro still clutched in his hands and he walked forward, depositing the orange ball into her arms. "You can have him back."

"T-Thank-you," stammered Feldt, cheeks warming as she focused her gaze on the ground. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see if there were any kids near here around my age." He made a face. "Playing with my little brother and sister isn't much fun sometimes."

Feldt didn't know what it was like to have siblings, she was an only child. It made her aware of the lonely cavern inside her chest, and tears pushed to the surface of her eyes again. He - Neil, wasn't that his name? - looked startled as she fell to her knees, clutching Haro as tightly as she could.

"Hey, what's the matter?" He knelt before her, watching her in confusion. "Feldt?"

"I don't have anyone anymore..." The tears fell, unchecked by her fingers. "I'm all alone..." It hurt to verbalize what she knew was the truth. There was a momentary pause, and then a hand landed on her head, rubbing it lightly.

"My mom said that making girls cry was bad. 'least, that's what she says when I get mad at my sister." A lopsided smile pulled at his lips. "So...I'll be friends with you, if you want."

Feldt blinked. "Really?"

"If you'll stop crying, sure. Little girls shouldn't cry, you know." He stood, and she rose, pouting.

"I'm not a little girl!" she protested, and he grinned, stifling laughter.

"Sure. Whatever you say." He turned, pausing. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"O-Okay!" Feldt called after him as he disappeared, waving over his shoulder.


	2. Chapter 2

**Authoress Notes:** Just to clarify, the first chapter was a flashback into Feldt's childhood. The rest will be explained through out the story, okay? It doesn't make it any fun if everything makes sense all the time, right? :D

_Claim:_ I only own this weird yet cute/bittersweet plot, of course. :D

**Disclaim:** Sadly, I still don't own Gundam00. Woe.

**Soundtrack: **Make You Smile [+44]

Chapter 01: _Familiar_

The trek towards the command center seemed even longer due to her hesitation in meeting the people she would be forced into close quarters with for who knew how long. Pausing, she shook her head, eyes narrowing in determination. _'You can do this, Feldt. Just act like you're pleased to be working with them.' _Something shifted in her gaze and fled. _'That's what I always do. Act.'_

The door slid open, and she strode forward in what she hoped was a confident manner. "And this is our latest addition to the command crew," said Sumeragi, waving a hand towards the pink haired teen. The captain was definately drunk again, bronze eyes slightly unfocused but just as piercing.

"Hello," she introduced herself, dismissing the quiver to her voice as her mind playing tricks on her as she bowed politely. "My name is Feldt Grace. It's a...pleasure to be working with you." Cursing herself for hesitating, she tried to play off her mistake by trying to offer a wan, thin smile. Her lips twitched but didn't obey, remaining in the indifferent shield.

Her eyes scanned the faces of the Gundam Meisters, shifting and observing each one. The one on the far left was Tieria Erde, then Allelujah Haptism, Setsuna , and Lockon Stratos. Her viridian irises lingered on him the longest, analyzing the chocolate hair and pale face as a part of her mind whispered that he looked oddly familiar. But the image her mind was trying to conjure up was faded and distorted with age and riddled with holes that made it impossible to place his face, much less a true name with it, if this was even who her mind was trying to recall.

The attempt was starting to give her a headache, and so she turned, the door sliding open to aid her exit. Slipping out into the colder temperature of the hallway, she pressed her back against the metal, and sank until her bottom touched the ground. It was silent in the cooridor that she had sat herself in.

Lonely, even. Something that Feldt Grace had come to accept as a second companion besides Haro, wrapping itself around her with frigid, spindly arms that entraped her and left her no escape but to embrace it fully, baring herself to it. Pressing a hand against her left temple, the young woman's eyes slid shut, trying to get the throbbing pulse in her head to go away.

"You know, I could think of better places to nap than a hallway," intoned an amused voice, and she shot to her feet, embarassed as she hesitantly met the gaze of Lockon Stratos, who arched an eyebrow, lips tugging into a lopsided smile. "Unless, you like that kind of thing."

"I was not sleeping," she protested, calming herself as the slight warmth of her cheeks faded into nonexistance, and she averted her gaze. "I was thinking."

"About what?" He inquired, genuinely curious as to what was going on in that little head of hers.

"You look-You look famililar." Her eyes searched his face, trying to catch anything that would give away something for her to analyze and see if she could help push the memory to the surface. Nothing but amusement on his face, though his blue eyes shone with quiet laughter as he responded,

"That pick-up line's a little over used, don't you think? Personally, I don't think that's going to get you anywhere."

Her eyes widened, and her lips moved without voice for a moment, trying to get around what he had just implied. "I-I didn't mean it like that!" She said, embarassed. He snickered, and she shook her head, turning and stalking down the hallway.

Lockon watched her go, and a hand bent back, scratching the back of his head lightly. "Didn't mean for that to happen," he murmured to himself as he turned, heading to rejoin his fellow pilots.

Meanwhile, Feldt had retreated to her room, locking the door behind her. Solitude welcomed her back with open arms, and she found herself comforted by the skeletal embrace as she sank onto the otherwise untouched bed, her bag laying by the bed.

Haro was somewhere off in a section of the _Ptolemaios_, and so she had no one with her, leaving her to her own thoughts. More specifically, thoughts about how strange Lockon Stratos was. He acted as though he knew her, taunting her with his words and twisting her own around. She disliked being toyed with, even more so by a man she was certain she had never met before, despite the faint nagging that she did know him.

In that train of thought, where would she have seen him before, anyway? She pushed it away as the mind playing tricks again, as it often could to manipulate emotions and send the person into a spiraling swirl of confusion all because of thoughts and feelings. She couldn't call herself emotionless - she still had them. They were locked away, higher to save herself from hurt and prevent anyone from knocking down the metaphorical stone walls she had built around herself.

Walls meant to keep her from being hurt. Walls meant to keep her from becoming close to anyone. Because anyone she became close to would eventually be torn away from her, just like her parents. She missed them dearly, having lost them at such a young age. But it had taught her something valuable, something she valued.

Why she was here in the first place.

Feldt had joined Celestial Being, not only to follow her parents footsteps, but to help prevent war and prevent others from being hurt by the loss of loved ones. May it be parents, siblings, children...even lovers. Nobody deserved to lose someone dear to them like she had.

At such a young age, she had been forced to grow up too soon, leaving behind childish delights for the darker, solemn mood that followed her around like a storm cloud that refused to be vanquished from around her. She was so alone. All by herself, without anyone.

And...she was beginning to hate it.


End file.
